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Location notes

This countryside location is on the South Wales Main line from Severn Tunnel Junction to Newport. The nearest city is Newport.It is also just east of Llanwern Steelworks. Although often called Magor it is actually in Llandevenny, a small village.There are a few large villages in the area, where you can get food.

Update November 2008:On the Western Side of the bridge is a field with a marked footpath sign. Do not be tempted to cross the style to attempt a shot of anything coming off the flyover. The footpath sign is misleading and gives a false indication the path is along the line of the railway fence. It is not! It goes diagonal to a wood! If you make this mistake you bear the wrath of a very angry unforgiving farmer who will read you the riot act with some very harsh language!

Railway type and traffic

There are 4 running lines, the slow lines being on either side of the mains.You get First Great Western Class 43s (HSTs), The units you see are 170s, 158s, 153s, 150s, 143s and FGW 180s, You do get the odd Voyagers but mostly on a weekend.You are near Llanwern so you get plenty of freight passing through. You get loaded steel/coal, Departmental and Enterprise, Ballast trains.

The Locomotives you see: Freightliner 66s, (mainly) DB Schenker 66s although you do see quite a fare bit of DB Schenker class 60s, which do turn up in different liveries.

Environment

The location is quiet. It is a narrow lane through trees. When you come to the bridge there are fields on your left and on your right, there is grass/hedging between the fast line and the slow line with trees around it. Being a countryside environment the people are very friendly.

Road directions

From the M4, Junction 23a:Get off this junction taking the first exit left and head towards Redwick, Bishton and Llanwern. You can ignore the first turning, which is for Magor and Caldicot. When you come to a small roundabout, go around the roundabout , which takes you to what looks like a dead end but in fact there is a turning left, keep going around a right hand bend and for approx 500 yards until you arrive on the bridge.

As the road is so quiet you can park on the bridge on either side and have a clear view and a warning in advanced when a train is coming, so you will know when to get out of the car if its raining, you can see trains from a long way off. Also there is plenty of parking just off the bridge.

Public transport

All Buses go from the Bus Station in Newport which is a short Walk from the Railway station. The bus you would require is the X14 which is a quick service that takes only 15 minutes, running every hour at 45mins past on the hour or the stopping bus which is the 74 that is 10mins past every hour.There is a bus stop as you approach Magor village. You will then need to walk back to the roundabout, bear left to the T Junction, left again to the next roundabout, right then left down the lane to Llandevenny.Approx walking time 20 minutes.

There are no immediate amenities in the area, although there is a fish and chip shop in Magor and a mini supermarket. If you get back on that road and go to junction 23a, go around the roundabout and there are motorway services.Magor is about a mile away from you, back on the B4245, Undy is 2 miles, Severn Tunnel Junction is approx 3 miles.

Accommodation

There are no hotels around this location but if you get onto M4, and go up to the next junction towards Newport, which is junction 24, there are plenty.

Sun Compass

Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Bishton Flyover, Llandevenny

You get a lot of freight through this location, but it can be annoying if it comes on the down slow because you cannot get much of a shot, from the side where the sun is, which is the right side. And if you go to the other side you will be in shadow and you have many shadows off the trees, which can spoil the shot.It is a pretty long bridge so you will be able to get side shots, you can go both sides to get shots.Early in the morning the sun is crossing the line and there is a little shadow both sides, so from 9:45am the sun is perfect for shots coming over the Bishton Flyover and on the fast from the east (Cardiff and Newport way), About two hours later you can get shots for freight trains coming from London and the Midlands,going into Llanwern or East Usk Yard. You have to go to the right side of the bridge for shots on the fast from the West, if you are concerned about having a shadow, it is a bit head on so you may consider going some where else, in the winter/autumn it is not so bad, but in the summer the trees grow longer and hang over the rails.From the East, which is Cardiff and Newport way for trains heading for London and the Midlands, shots are perfect from 10ish to about 4ish, where the sun is to the right of you in the correct place but from 4pm onwards, the sun does start moving around. The sun, from 18:00 onwards is directly in your face and you will not get much of a shot. Shots are very nice coming over the flyover, but the grass between the fast and the slow line is growing and is getting a bit overgrown so you may have to go a little bit head on. Also you may consider bringing a lens which is not a wide angle or a little lens as there are two signals just before the trains go under the bridge, which may get in the way of the shot.There are 4 lines going underneath you on the bridge. For videoing it is a road so you may get the odd car coming over when you are videoing a train, you may also consider bringing a really high tripod as the bridge sides are quite high!Children will be able to reach over because you can stand on the concrete underneath the railings, the are holes in the railings so 3year olds and 5year olds can still see the trains.

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